Work-holder.



No. 856,022. PATBNTBD JUNE 4, 1907.

A. E. BOOTH.

WORK HOLDER. APPLICATION FILED 00T.9, 1905.

'L Am" a/ ESI:

ALICE E. BOOTH, OF LOGANSPORT, INDIANA.

WORK-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 4, 1907.

Application filed October 9, 1905. Serial No. 281.994.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALICE E. BOOTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Iiogansport, in the county of Cass and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in I/Vork-Holders,l Lof which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to devices for holding textile fabric while the same is being sewed or otherwise operated on; and it has for one of its objects to provide a device adapted to be clamped or otherwise fixed on a table top or other support, and constructed in such manner that textile fabric may be readily engaged with and disengaged from it without any injury whatever to the fabric, and yet there is no liability of the fabric being casually released when the same is manipulated incident to sewing, basting or ripping thereof.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device for the piupose stated, embodying such a construction that an ordinary needle or pin may be utilized for engaging the fabric to be held, and when the said needle or pin is broken, bent or otherwise impaired, it may be quickly and easily removed and as readily replaced with a new needle or pin.

Other advantageous features peculiar to my invention will be fully appreciated from the following description when-the same is considered in connection with the acc-ompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which.:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which the device constituting the present and preferred embodiment of my invention is fixed on a table top and used to hold a piece of textile fabric during the sewing, basting or ripping of the latter. Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the device as the same appears when removed from a table top or other support, and: Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken in the plane indicated by the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, looking downwardly.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings.

Among other elements my novel workholding device comprises a body A. This body A may be of any construction and material'and may be :fixed on a table top or other support in any manner compatible with the spirit of my invention without involving a departure from the scope of my invention. I prefer, however, to make the said body ofI cast or other metal and in general U-form, and to provide it at the extremity of its arm a with a vertically-disposed, threaded aperture b, and at the extremity of its other and upper arm c with a needle holder d. I'also prefer to employ a screw B for xing the body A and the device as a whole with respect' to a table top or other support. The said screw bears l in the threaded, aperture l) of the lower arm a of the body, and is provided at its lower end with a flattened head e while its upper end is arranged to exert pressure against the underside of the table top after the manner shown in Fig. l. From this it follows that when the body A is positioned as shown in Fig. l, relative to a table top or the like, and the screw B is turned upwardly, the table top will be securely clamped between the upper end of the screw and the lower end of the needle holder (Z, with the result that there is no liability of the device being pulled or knocked off of or changed in position on the table top. It will also be apparent Athat when it is desired to remove the device from the table top or change the position 'of the former on the latter, the same may be readily accom lished after the screw B is turned downwardly or loosened.

By reference to Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings it will be observed that the needle holder d is provided with a vertical central tapering bore f which extends throughout its height, and that a needle O is placed and held in an upright position in the said bore, and when the holder is clamped in position for use, the needle is held rigidly in place due to the wedging action accomplished by the needle being forced upwardly in the tapering bore of the needle holder. The said needle O, which may be an ordinary` sewing needle or a needle of any other approved type is removably arranged in the holder d and extends a considerable distance above the same and has its point uppermost as illustrated for a purpose presently set forth.

By virtue of the needle O being removably arranged in the holder d, a new needle mayl be easily and expeditiously substitutedfor one .broken or otherwise impaired. It will also be observed that when desirable or necessary an ordinary pin may be substituted for the needle. In this connection I desire it distinctly understood' that the term needle TOO IIO

as herein employed is intended to comprehend not only a pin but a pointed, pin-like device of any description appropriate to the function of the present device.

In using my novel device, the device is clamped on a table top or the like and the piece of fabric to be held is placed on the needle `C as shown in Fig. l. With this done the needle C will securely hold the piece of fabric without liability of the same slipping or being casually'released, and yet when it is desired to shift the piece of fabric the same may be readily lifted off the needle and replaced in a new position on the same. It will also be apparent that the engagement of the needle C with the fabric does not in any manner `injure the fabric, which is an important desideratum.

W'hile the iece of textile material is held by my nove device, the seamstress is en abled to conveniently handle and sew, baste or rip the fabric', and this without the necessity of leaning over, sitting in a cramped position or being otherwise subjected todiscomfort.

In addition to the advantages which I have hereinbefore ascribed to my novel workholding device, the same is obviously simple and inexpensive in construction and yet is adapted to enhance rather than detract from in llie neat appearance of a sewing table or the Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pattical tapering bore, means for fixing said body to a table-top or the like, and a needle removably arranged in vand extending upward from said bore of the needle holder, and

when in operative position the needle is heldy rigidly in place by being wedged in the tapering bore of said holder.

2. A work-holder comprising a U-shaped posed, threaded aperture at the extremity of it lower arm and a needle holder provided with a vertical central bore at the extremity of its upper arm, a needle removably arranged in saidbore of the needle holder and extending above the up er end of the same, and a screw bearing in t e threaded aperture of the body and arranged to exert pressure 1against the underside of a table top or the In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALICE E. BOOTH.

Witnesses:

GEO. A. CUsTER, STEWART T. McCoNNELL.

`body adapted to straddle the edge of a table ytop or the, like, and having a vertically dis- 

